Synthesis of sustainability and function

In many areas of daily life, sustainability has become a pivotal topic. Yet long before the spirit of the times has been characterised by this term, it was the packaging – of all things – which had to face critical consideration with regard to sustainability. At the same time, the demands on modern packaging have constantly increased over the course of time.
Thus, good packaging has to protect its contents and make them transportable. However, it also needs to be easy to handle in the process chain and with regard to the end at the point of sale. Bioplastics are a promising approach to expedite the idea of sustainability with regard to modern packaging. In the meantime, the focus on protection of fossil resources and the easiest possible biodegradability are more than merely a phenomenon of the spirit of the times. They will remain significant topics of the future. Yet the function may not suffer from this. In this connection, bioplastics still have a lot of catching-up to do with respect to the established packaging materials such as paper and cardboard, glass, metal or also conventional plastics. As a visitor at the interpack, you will be able to verify their innovative ability.
Bioplastics are well on the way to further combining sustainability and function with each other, and developing more and more fi elds of application. The enormous potential and the dynamic development of the industry are also reflected in the presentation of the special topic “Bioplastics in Packaging” at the interpack 2008. The overall presentation has tripled in comparison with the last event.